IN OLD NEW YORK (Keegan Ales Brewery)

My search for the best beer in New York continues….

Many people don’t know this (at least I didn’t), but the original capital of New York State was Kingston. The British burned the city down in the late 1700’s and the capital was later moved to Albany. I learned all this in my travels and research about beer. Amazing that alcohol did a better job of teaching me than grammar school did. Or maybe I just pay more attention now – when I have a beer in my hand.

I found out about Kingston because I travelled to the Keegan Ales brewery, which is in that old town. It’s upstate about 90 miles from the city, so I decided to include them on my official beer search. While the only major public transit available to Kingston is Greyhound, their beers are widely available in the city at bars and beer shops. We were fortunate enough to drive up there and so I got to taste it from the source.

This is my first review of a destination officially outside the city limits and let me tell you I was nervous. I don’t think the locals were used to people snapping photos of the beer. But everybody was very polite and didn’t pay too much attention. Inside looked like the divviest of bars. There were some dart boards and an area for live music. It was dark, wooden and unlike the fancier craft breweries I’ve been to in the past. We peeked into the brewhouse and it was obvious their production is small.

We ordered a sampler from the bartender, which was just $9 and included all of their beers on tap. Keegan pretty much only manufactures three different types of beers and they’re all ales. Ales are generally more full-flavored and stronger than lagers. So it’s a good thing I wasn’t driving today.

The fourth and fifth beers at the brewery are alternating special brews. The day we arrived it was both the Joe Mama’s Milk Stout (which is now also being bottled) and a beer called Black Eye,  a Black IPA, which I was very excited about.

We took our sampler outside to the benches and quickly made friends with the friendliest black cat I’ve ever seen. Cats seem to be the official pet of breweries. I wonder if this kitty is related to Monster, the thirsty feline that resides at the Brooklyn Brewery.

Our sampler started with the Old Capital, which is how I learned my history lesson for the week. This is a very light, crisp blonde ale. It reminded me of a lager, but much more complex and robust. It had subtle sweet, cereal notes. It was light and refreshing and a good way to start the tasting.

The Hurricane Kitty is not named after our new furry friend, but rather brewmaster Tommy Keegan’s grandmother who earned that nickname because she was a notoriously reckless driver with a large speeding record. This is an IPA (India Pale Ale), which is usually very hoppy and bitter and the aggressiveness here is supposed to be a metaphor for Kitty’s wild streak. I did find the beer rather hoppy at first, but it mellowed out and finished with a light citrus quality at the end. It wasn’t the hoppiest of IPA’s, but it was pleasant and balanced.

The next two beers looked very similar (and actually turn out to be related). They were both dark and opaque with the tiniest bit of foamy head. The first is probably Keegans’ most famous beer, Mother’s Milk. This is a milk stout, which is a sweet, usually rich creamy stout. I got some roasted coffee notes on both the nose and the palate, but I didn’t find this terribly sweet. It had some promised oatmeal notes, which I found unique and enjoyable. There was a subtle milkiness in the mouthfeel, but I was hoping for a thicker creaminess.

The other beer was called Joe Mama’s Milk (whoever’s naming these beers clearly has a sense of humor) and it’s the Mother’s Milk taken to the next level. They add lots of brown sugar before fermentation and then infuse it with a cold coffee extract. Coffee was definitely the primary flavor here, while the nose gave off a chocolate milk scent. I enjoyed the strong coffee flavors, but thought it could have used a little more balance.

The last beer on our sampler was that special Black Eye. Now this is a black IPA, which I had once before at a brewery in Portland. I love when things aren’t what they’re supposed to be. This beer was not as dark as the previous two, but still had a dark, black hue.  It tasted just like an IPA – it was hoppy with notes of citrus and pine. I didn’t really get many darker or roasty notes. It was a nice beer, but didn’t do anything special for me, as hoped.

The line-up at Keegan’s was pretty solid, but not very diverse. I do appreciate doing one thing and doing it well. And keeping it small allows them to perfect certain styles rather than spreading themselves too thin.

It was nice to sit on the benches outside, but I wasn’t so crazy about the industrial, divey feel of the inside area. The food menu was pretty much barbecue, hot dogs, and sandwiches (although there were a few salads listed). It looked as if you ordered all the food from one dinky little counter, which was reminiscent of my youthful day’s spent at the roller skating rink. We had already eaten, but if we hadn’t, this would not have been the most appealing option.

The only reason to come all the way out to Keegans Ales brewery is to try the beer from the source itself. But even the Black Eye is currently available at some local bars in the city proper. If you’re in the original state capital learning some history and stuff like that, it might be worth stopping by for a sampler. When beer is involved, you might end up learning more than you expected.

Does Keegan Ales make the the best beer in the NY area? They produce a few solid beers but the brewery itself is not a full-on destination. It gets a 7 out of 10.

Is Keegan Ale’s Old Capital the best craft beer in NY? For an ale, it’s quite light and refreshing and drinks rather easily. An 8 out of 10.

Is Keegan Ale’s Hurricane Kitty the best craft beer in NY? It gets a 7 out of 10 because it’s not as hoppy as I think of an IPA, but it’s still citrusy and strong.

Is Keegan Ale’s Mother’s Milk the best craft beer in NY? It’s milky and just slightly sweet with unusual notes of oatmeal rounding out the roasted malts earning a 7 out of 10.

Is Keegan Ale’s Joe Mama’s Milk the best craft beer in NY? I enjoyed the aggressive coffee flavor so it gets an 8 out of 10, but could be slightly seen as overwhelming.

Is Keegan Ale’s Black Eye the best craft beer in NY? I love Black IPA’s and this one had a nice hop characteristic, but was missing a little balance, earning it a 7 out of 10.